Help with New Set-up

[Tom2334]

Well I've been out of the hobby for over 4 years now and it has been slowly pulling me back in and now I am ready to start again. I need some input on where to start again. I know somethings have changed since I have been gone so thats why I need some help.

My last reef tank was a 300gal that I had tremendous fun and success with it but after moving, getting married and kids I never had time for the tank and sold it 4yrs ago. Now I want back in and I want to go bigger but not sure how large. Money is always a concern but not an issue. I was thinking around 500g but no larger. I am also building a house right now so I am not concerned with the dimensions of the tank because I can make it work anywhere at this time. I want to build a tank that is optimal for a large reef set-up. I have been all over looking at different threads and pictures and can't decide on what to do.

I also need help with all the mechanics of the system(lighting,pumps,skimmer,chiller,heater,UV,ect...) as i have never tried to go this large and new things have come out or changed. I guess I feel like a noobie again and need Help from the Experts.

Thanks again and I am very excited about being back. Hope to hear from everyone soon. :dance:

Tom

 

[stunreefer]

First thing that comes to mind IMO with a large reef is depth (front to back, not height). The deeper the tank, the better IMHO. Aquascaping, the "feel" of the build, everything plays into each other in a nice deep tank. I would go at least 36" front to back depth.

Past that the biggest new advancements in the hobby for you to consider are circulation and lighting. T5s and LEDs are very efficient lighting schemes, but could be very costly on a larger build. Honestly with your size tank I would probably lean towards halides with nice bulbs (Radium 20Ks) in LumenArc reflectors for wide spread and call it a day. Flow wise your main options (which you likely know) are either in tank powerheads or closed loop system. In large tanks closed loops are implemented frequently, but call me crazy, I just don't like the idea of having a bunch of extra holes in an aquarium that could have a bulkhead fail. Vortechs and Tunzes are the "high-end" pumps you see a lot of in the hobby, I'm a fan of Vortechs as they have no power source in the water, small foot print in tank with wide span of flow and no heat transfer into the water. Check out this 1,200 gallon tank that utilizes Vortechs for flow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh6Cz_H8Uhg

Skimmers are super efficient these days and prices have come down dramatically in the past few years as competition is rigorous. Most manufacturers rate their skimmers fairly well, compared to a couple years ago I would say go with something rated double your system.

Skim through a ton of builds here in the Large Tank Forum and you'll get tons of ideas...

Welcome back and GL!

 

[gtaylor67]

I am going to tag in on this because I'm also setting up a large tank in the near future and would like to hear from the pro's... Thanks for asking first.. LOL Gary

 

[LifeAquatic]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1758067


You need one of these. No exceptions!!

 

[LifeAquatic]

Welcome back!